Environment satus & management of tanks and Ponds in Tiptur Taluk

(Google image of Tiptur Lake)

Though there is a distinction between fresh water lakes and brackish water lakes, just as the lakes of Tiptur taluk lakes which lies on southern peninsular India are distinct from those of the Himalayan region and natural lakes from man made reservoirs, there is no scientific evaluation.

The Tanks and ponds, all over the Tiptur taluk are in varying degrees of environmental degradation. The degradation is due to encroachments eutrophication (from domestic and industrial effluent as in case of Tiptur lake) and silt. There has been a quantum jump in population during the last century without corresponding expansion of civic facilities resulting in tanks and ponds, especially the Tiptur town ones, becoming sinks for contaminants. The main causes for the impaired conditions of the tanks could be summarized as under.

(Doomed to die and Bio Medical waste in Tiptur Lake)

Pollutants entering from fixed point sources

1. Nutrient from waste water from municipal and domestic effluents (in case of Tiptur Tank)
2. Organic, inorganic and toxic pollution from industrial effluents.
3. Rainwater runoff.

Pollutants entering form non point sources:

1. Nutrients through fertilizer, toxic pesticides and other chemicals, mainly form agricultural runoff.
2. Organic pollution from human settlements spread over areas along the periphery of the lakes and reserviors.

(Encroached byGovt.,Rich Farmers, Muncipality,... paradise of all Disease )

Other basin-related causes of impairment:

1. Silting of tanks on account of increased soil erosion as result of expansion of urban and agricultural areas, deforestation, road construction and such other land disturbances taking place in the drainage basin.
2. Diversion of river feeding the tanks reducing their sizes.
3. Competition for using tank, water such as for drinking, irrigation etc.,
4. Untreated or inadvertently treated domestic and industrial (Motor vehicle workshops) effluent from point sources located all over the basin.